Blade set-removing devices for hair clippers in particular for hair clippers to be combined with electrical shaving apparatus



1956 J. VAN DER HEIDE 3,233,

BLADE SET-REMOVING DEVICES FOR HAIR CLIPPERS IN PARTICULAR FOR HAIR GLIPPERS TO BE COMBINED WITH ELECTRICAL SHAVING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JELTE \AN DER HEIDE BY M AGENi 1966 J. VAN DER HEIDE 3, 33,

BLADE SET-REMOVING DEVICES FOR HAIR CLIPPERS IN PARTICULAR FOR HAIR CLIPPERS TO BE COMBINED WITH ELECTRICAL SHAVING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JELTE VAN DER HEIDE United States Patent 3,233,324 BLADE SET-REMOVING DEVICES FOR HAIR CLIP- PERS IN PARTICULAR FOR HAIR CLIPPERS TO BE COMBINED WITH ELECTRICAL SHAVING APPARATUS Jelte van der Heide, Haulerwijk, Netherlands, assignor to North American Philips Company, Inc., New York, N .Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 237,983 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Nov. 16, 1961, 271,493 Claims. (CI. 30-90) The invention relates to a blade set-removing device for a hair clipper, the blade set of which projects from the housing of the hair clipper with some play through a slot.

The invention relates more in particular to an improvement which may be applied to combinations of an electric shaving apparatus with a hair clipper, the motor of the shaving apparatus being used also for the driving of the hair clipper.

Such a combination is known, for example, in the form of a hair clipper fixture which is capable of replacing a detachable shaving head of an electric shaving apparatus.

In known hair clippers the requirement is met that the blade set must be capable of being removed, i.e. for cleaning, for which purpose the housing has to be opened, a cover-shaped part removed and connecting means released by unscrewing or such measures.

The object of the invention is to render it possible to remove the blade set with a single simple manipulation while avoiding every unfavourable influence on the longlasting reliable operation of the hair clipper as such. As a result of this, the care of such hair clippers when used by technical laymen becomes possible without diificulties.

The blade set-removing device according to the invention is characterised in that the blade set and a surface of engagement thereof in the housing of the hair clipper are provided with cooperating studs and recesses which enter into each other with a depth of engagement at right angles to the plane in which the blades slide along each other which is determined with respect to the height of lift of the blade set in the slot so that the studs are released from the recesses when the blade set is displaced from the side of the slot to which it is forced by a spring across the distance of play to the opposite slot side.

So the blade set engages in normal manner under spring pressure a surface of engagement of the housing of the hair clipper, in which, also in known manner a fixed blade of the set may engage the said face and the other blade may be given an oscillatory motion with respect to the fixed blade by the drive. When practicing the invention it is necessary only for removing the blades to depress the end of the blade set projecting outside the housing of the hair clipper against the spring pressure across the free height of the slot and sliding the same forward out of the slot, as a result of which the blocking action against sliding of the blades obtained by the co-operation of studs and recesses is removed. Then the blade set is entirely free and may be removed.

In the operating condition, the springs in co-operation with said studs and recesses ensure an entirely fixed location of the blade set relative to the driving device.

Preferably, one or more springs are provided in the housing of the hair clipper which exert pressure on the blade set in the direction of the slot. After the said removal of the blocking action, the blade set is automatically slid to the exterior by the springs through some distance, as a result of which it can easily be taken out and removed from the slot.

In the preferred embodiment this is realized in that in the housing of the hair clipper a spring member is provided which, with a part projecting in the slot and with a part extending at an angle beyond a rear edge of the blade set, exerts pressure on the latter, the said two spring members meeting in a tilting corner which rests on the side remote from the surface of engagement of the blade set on the wall of the housing of the hair clipper.

In this manner, the plural function is performed by a single spring member as a result of which considerable costs are saved in the manufacture and assembly. At the same time the great advantage is obtained that as a result of the tilting effect of this spring member the part of the spring projecting in the slot only presses against the blade set when the backward part of the spring is pressed by the inserted blades. So the slot is released for re-introduction of the blades and the part of the spring in the slot does not constitute an obstruction.

This is even further improved in an embodiment which is characterised in that the part of the spring extending at an angle beyond the rear edge of the blade set is formed by the ends of a spring located on either side of the central axis of the blade set, which ends support in a sliding manner against the lateral supporting surfaces in the housing of the hair clipper and which are divergent with respect to each other.

This tilting spring fulfils in a simple and reliable manner the function of forcing the blade set against the surface of engagement across a sufficient width, namely on the one hand by means of the part of the spring projecting in the slot and on the other hand on both sides on backwards points by the ends of the spring which also ensure the forcing of the blade set in the direction of the slot as a result of a component of the spring pressure.

However, also the reaction force of the said spaced lateral supporting surfaces against these limbs surely causes a tilting of the spring member, as a result of which after removing the blades the part of the spring in the slot entirely releases the entrance thereof for re-introducing the blade-set.

The invention also comprises the hair clipper fixture in which the invention has found application and the spring members used as such according to the invention.

In order that the invention may readily be carried into effect, two embodiments thereof will now be described more fully, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view in the bottom member of the housing of a hair clipper fixture according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the same bottom member but being the lower side thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a blade set against the lower side which, when providing in the bottom member shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, is facing the inner surface thereof shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective interior view of the cap which is placed on the bottom member of the hair clipper fixture shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 and which constitutes the surface of engagement for the side of the blade set located at the rear edge in FIGURE 3 (the blade set shown in FIGURE 3 in the perspective position may be thought to be provided in the cap shown in FIGURE 4.)

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the spring member according to a modified embodiment, which form of spring member is also shown in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic detailed cross-section through a blade set placed in a hair clipper, the crosssection being taken along the line VI-VI of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic bottom plan view against the blade set shown in FIGURE 6.

In FIGURES 1 and 2, the bottom member of the housing of the hair clipper is indicated by 1.

On the lower side of the bottom member shown in FIGURE 2, the pins 3 and 4 are visiblewith which the hair clipper fixture may be fixed in known manner on the motor housing of an electric shaving apparatus having a detachable double shaving head. The two driving shafts of the shaving head are operative in the apertures 5 and 6. Opposite the aperture 6 a pin 7 (FIGURE 4) is provided in the cap 8 which pin longitudinally fits a bottom pin 9 locking the aperture 6 and forming a pivot for a driving arm 10 in the bottom member 1. By means of the eccentric 11 which is driven by the driving shaft of the shaving head introduced in the aperture 5, the arm 10 is given an oscillatory motion, a pivot 12 provided thereon and projecting only through the height of a blade thickness engaging in the slot 13 (see FIGURE 3) of the movable blade 14. The fixed blade 15 resting against it is forced in a resilient manner to be described below against a surface of engagement in the cap 8 and is enclosed between the studs 16 and 17 engaging the recesses 18 and 19 of the fixed blade 15. The said surface of engagement may be determined by ribs 20 and 21, the latter of which also constituting the boundary of the slot between the bottom member 1 and the cap 8, which slot is indicated by 22 in the diagrammatic cross-section shown in FIGURE 6 (the ribs 20 and 21 are not shown separately in FIGURE 6). The cap 8 is further provided with three fixed box screws as indicated by 23 corresponding to screw holes indicated by 24 in FIGURE 1.

It appears from these later connection means that the blade set 14, 15 which, for convenience, is shown as a single block in FIGURE 6, could only be removed after taking apart the bottom member 1 and the cap 8 of the hair clipper after unscrewing, all parts located in it being loose, an operation which for practical purposes is too cumbersome and which, in addition, cannot be left to the layman.

Below, the device is explained by which the removal according to the invention may be effected with a single manipulation and in which the blade set is removed from the slot 22.

The blade set 14, 15 is forced against the surface of engagement 20, 21 by the springs 25, 26, 27 which in this case are combined to one spring member according to the preferred embodiment. As already indicated, the studs 16, 17 are located in the recesses 18 and 19 of the fixed blade 15, while in addition pins 28 and 29 on the fixed blade 15 engage in apertures 30 and 31 of the movable blade 14, as a result of which these blades are fixed mutually while maintaining the possibility of a reciprocating movement of the movable blade 14 when being driven by the end of the pivot 12.

The location of the spring member 25, 26, 27 is further explained with reference to FIGURE 6, from which it also appears that between the blade sets 14, 15 and the bottom member 1 suflicient space 32 remains for the driving by the arm 10' with the pivot 11 (in FIGURE 6 indicated only diagrammatically by broken lines). The height of the studs 16, 17 with respect to the free play in the slot 22 is determined so that the studs are released from the recesses when the blade set is displaced from the side of the slot 22 to which it is forced by the springs 25, 26 and 27 across the distance of play to the opposite side of the slot. So if the blade set 14, 15 is taken at the projecting end and depressed from the position shown in FIGURE 6, it may be removed without difficulties. In this case, the counter pressure will be exerted mainly by the spring in the slot of the housing. The oblique rear ends 2'7 and 26 of the spring member exert a pressure, a component of which ensures the pressure against the surface of engagement 21 on two sides of the blade set, so that together with the action of the spring 25 an even pressure of engagement is obtained. In addition, however, a second component presses in the direction of the slot and the removal is facilitated in that the blade set slides to the exterior through some distance under the influence of said spring pressure, so that the studs 16, 17 are released from the recesses 18 and 19 by the depression of the blade set 14, 15 and the projecting end.

In addition it will be clear that the spring member, the part 25 of which on the one hand and the parts 26 and 27 on the other hand are located in planes which mutually enclosed an angle, tilt around the rib 33 as soon as the blade set 14, 15 is slid to the exterior. The spring part 25 may be forced away from blocking the slot 22, so that the blade set, after cleaning or replacing, can be introduced again without being hindered by the spring.

In FIGURES 1, 6 and 7 it is shown in addition that a rib 34 rests on the spring part 25 which rib extends over the width of the slot and is guided in a groove 35 in the slot of the bottom member 1. This rib may consist, for example, of a strip of synthetic material and when the spring part 25 is in the lower position as shown in FIGURE 6 by a broken line, the slot 22 is free. This position only occurs if the blade set 14, 15 is removed. It is shown in addition in FIGURE 6 that if this blade set is placed, the spring part 25 forces the rib 34 against the blade set 14, 15, so that the slot 22 is closed and rendered inaccessible for parts of hair and dust. So this rib also serves as a dust sealing rib.

It will now be explained with reference to FIGURES 5 and 7 that the leaf springs 25, 26, 27, 33 shown in FIG- URE 1 may advantageously be manufactured from a single wire spring of which the part 25a projecting in the slot is U-shaped and the two limbs of the U are bent laterally in the same plane (part 33a) while then they are each bent to the exterior at an angle in a plane which encloses an angle with the first plane (parts 26a and 27a). These parts 26a and 27a bent to the exterior engage the rear side of the blade set 14, 15 as shown in FIGURE 6, but in addition they support in a sliding manner the lateral supporting surfaces 36, 37 in the housing of the hair clipper which surfaces are divergent with respect to each other. When the blade set is removed, the reaction force of these lateral surfaces against the parts 261:, and 27a of the spring displaces these parts in the direction of the slot, the spring member tilting around the line 33a and the U-shaped part 25a of the spring consequently being forced into the cavity of the housing of the hair clipper, the slot 22 being unblocked by the spring member. The angle enclosed by the two said surfaces in which the spring member is bent is therefore indicated by tilting corner and the line about which the tilting takes place may be indicated by tilting line as was already indicated in FIGURE 6 by 33.

In FIGURE 5, the supporting surfaces 36 and 37 are divergent with respect to each other in the direction of the slot. Instead, such lateral supporting surfaces might be provided on the inner side of the spring parts 26 and 27 in which case, however, they would have to converge towards each other in the direction of the slot.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric hair clipper attachment for use with a rotary dry shaver provided with a drive shaft comprising a housing having a slot at one end, means in said housing connected to said drive shaft for converting said rotary motion to reciprocating motion, a set of relatively reciprocating blades projecting through said slot with clearance and operatively connected to said means, the housing and blade set being provided with corresponding studs and recesses, a spring in said housing normally urging said corersponding studs and recesses into engagement with each other with a depth of engagement substantially perpendicular to the plane of said blade set, said blade set being adapted to be displaced transversely to the longitudinal axis of said housing against the pressure of said spring to disengage said studs and corersponding rescesses and permit the blade set to be removed forwardly through said slot.

2. An electric hair clipper attachment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a depression in said housing,

and said spring having at least part thereof located in said depression.

3. An electric hair clipper attachment as claimed in claim 2 wherein said spring exerts pressure on said blade set in the direction of said slot.

4. An electric hair clipper attachment for use with a rotary dry shaver provided with a drive shaft comprising a housing having a slot at one end, means in said housing connected to said drive shaft for converting said rotary motion to reciprocating motion, a set of relatively reciprocating blades projecting through said slot with clearance and operatively connected to said means, the housing and blade set being provided with corersponding studs and recesses, a spring member having a part projecting in said slot and a part extending angularly thereto and into engagement with the rear edge of said blade set and exerting pressure thereon, said spring parts joining at a portion which rests on a wall of said housing opposite to the surfaces of engagement of said corresponding studs and recesses, said spring in said housing normally urging said corresponding studs and recesses into engagement with each other with a depth of engagement substantially perpendicular to the plane of said blade set, said blade set being adapted to be displaced transversely to the longitudinal axis of said housing against the pressure of said spring to disengage said studs and corresponding recesses and permit the blade set to be removed forwardly through said slot.

5. An electric hair clipper attachment as claimed in claim 4 wherein said spring is U-shaped and part thereof extending at an angle beyond the rear edge of the blade set is formed by the ends of said spring and is located on either side of the minor axis of said blade set.

6. An electric hair clipper attachment as claimed in claim 2 wherein said spring member is U-shaped having the bight portion is said depression of the housing, said depression further comprising upright supporting surfaces which are divergent with respect to each other, and the legs of said U-shaped spring member resiliently engaging said upright supporting surfaces.

7. An electric hair clipper attachment for use with a rotary dry shaver provided with a drive shaft comprising a housing having a slot at one end, means in said housing connected to said drive shaft for converting said rotary motion to reciprocating motion, a set of relatively reciprocating blades projecting through said slot with clearance and operatively connected to said means, the housing and blade set being provided with corresponding studs 6 and recesses, a spring in said housing normally urging said corresponding studs and recesses into engagement with each other with a depth of engagement substantially perpendicular to the plane of said blade set, said blade set being adapted to be displaced transversely to the longitudinal axis of said housing against the pressure of said spring to disengage said studs and corresponding recesses and permit the blade set to be removed forwardly through said slot, and a guided strip resiliently removable into and out of said slot and located between a part of said spring projecting into said slot and said blade set.

8. An electric hair clipper attachement as claimed in claim 3 wherein the side edges of one of said relatively reciprocating blades are provided with said recesses, each of said recesses coacting with a side surface of each of said studs, said spring operatively engaging said one of said relatively reciprocating blades to urge the recesses therein into engagement with the corresponding studs.

9. A spring for use with an electric hair clipper attach ment as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring comprises a central rib, a spring part projecting therefrom at right angles in the center and a spring part projecting on each of the ends of the rib in opposite directions, which latter parts of the spring are mainly in one plane enclosing an obtuse angle with the part of the spring projecting to the other side through which vertex the said central rib extends.

10. A spring as claimed in claim 9, wherein a spring wire is bent in the center in the form of a U, while the two legs are each bent laterially in the plane of the U-shaped part where they form the central portion of the spring member, and are then bent to the exterior at an angle in a plane enclosing an angle with the first plane.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,956,042 4/1934 Oster 30-221 2,098,180 11/1937 Dilks 30221 2,928,171 3/1960 Oster 30-221 2,987,818 6/1961 Rosenstein 3090 3,036,378 5/1962 Dressler 30-90 FOREIGN PATENTS 687,252 8/1953 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRIC HAIR CLIPPER ATTACHMENT FOR USE WITH A ROTARY DRY SHAVER PROVIDED WITH A DRIVE SHAFT COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A SLOT AT ONE END, MEANS IN SAID HOUSING CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT FOR CONVERTING SAID ROTARY MOTION TO RECIPROCATING MOTION, A SET OF RELATIVELY RECIPROCATING BLADES PROJECTING THROUGH SAID SLOT WITH CLEARANCE AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MEANS, THE HOUSING AND BLADE SET BEING PROVIDED WITH CORRESPONDING STUDS AND RECESSES, A SPRING IN SAID HOUSING NORMALLY URGING SAID CORRESPONDING STUDS AND RECESSES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER WITH A DEPTH OF ENGAGEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID BLADE SET, SAID BLADE SET BEING ADAPTED TO BE DISPLACED TRANSVERSELY TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID HOUSING AGAINST THE PRESSURE OF SAID SPRING TO DISENGAGE SAID STUDS AND CORRESPONDING RECESSES AND PERMIT THE BLADE SET TO BE REMOVED FORWARDLY THROUGH SAID SLOT. 